Jared McKinney is an assistant professor at Air War College. Reiss Oltman is an Air University Fellow in the Department of Joint Warfighting, Air Command and Staff College. Taiwan is
whether to proceed with plans to dedicate $8.9 billion to building seven submarines from 2025 to 2038. The indigenous defense submarine (IDS) program represents a way to stimulate Taiwan’s defense industry and is intended to equip Taiwan with the ability to challenge a Chinese blockade and complicate an attempted invasion.
While these are admirable goals, the price tag is high, the timeline for acquisition is prolonged and the likelihood that the subs could compete effectively in the 2030s is uncertain.
